School buses are meant to protect children, providing a safer way to travel to and from school. When a school bus accident happens in Coral Gables, families are often left shaken and searching for answers. These incidents can involve students, drivers, pedestrians, or occupants of other vehicles, leading to injuries that may have lasting consequences.
Our skilled bus accident attorneys can help you understand how they occur and what makes these cases different, and can help families navigate a stressful and emotional situation.
School bus accidents can happen in many ways, often involving more than one factor. In Coral Gables, common causes of school bus crashes include:
Children are especially vulnerable during boarding and drop-off, when traffic violations by other drivers can have serious consequences.
Because most school buses do not have seat belts, passengers may be thrown forward or sideways during a crash. Common injuries include cuts and bruises, broken bones, brain damage, neck or back injuries, and internal trauma. Even when injuries appear minor at first, symptoms may worsen over time, making a medical evaluation essential.
It can sometimes be surprisingly complex to determine liability for a school bus incident. Responsibility may fall on one or more parties, including:
School bus accidents may involve public entities, such as school districts or municipalities. Claims against them may differ from other liable parties, and not in ways that benefit victims. For example, they may come with specific rules and shorter deadlines.
These cases may also involve government notice requirements, insurance coverage limitations, and different standards for proving negligence. It is important to understand these factors so that you can properly manage expectations. Many people think that school buses would have larger payouts for injuries than other forms of transportation, but instead, the opposite is generally true.
After a school bus accident in Coral Gables, you can take some early steps to protect both your health and legal rights. Seek immediate medical care for any injured child or adult to prevent injuries from getting worse and start the documentation process. Report the accident to law enforcement and school officials to make a record of the claim. Documenting your injuries, the accident scene, and bus information helps start the evidence-gathering process, while keeping records of medical treatment and related expenses helps link the treatment to those injuries.
Crucially, you must avoid giving early statements to insurance companies without guidance to help prevent misunderstandings.
Injuries from a school bus accident can lead to significant expenses, especially when children require ongoing care or therapy. Compensation may include:
In cases involving serious injury, compensation may also reflect long-term limitations or disabilities that develop from this crash.
School bus accidents can affect not just the injured person, but entire families. Our Coral Gables lawyers can explain your options after a serious school bus crash while ensuring accountability when negligence played a role. Our personal injury lawyers at Werner, Hoffman, Greig & Garcia can explain those options and fight for compensation to help your injured family member through this difficult time. You pay nothing unless we secure a settlement or verdict for you.
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